Process of producing sugar.



M. ALTOLAGUIRRE & J. ZUBILLAGA.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING SUGAR. AIPPLIOATION FILED SEPT.30,1007.

910,037. Patefited Jan. 19, 1909.

Q &

Witnesses MARTIN ALTOLAGUIRRE AND JOAQUIN ZUBILL'AGA, OF VEDADO, CUBA.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING SUGAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Application filed September 30, 1907. Serial No. 395,163.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MARTIN ALTOLA- 'GUIRRE and JOAQUIN ZUBILLAGA, citizens of the United States, residing at Vedado, Cuba,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Sugar, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention pertains to the production ofsugar; and it consists in the process, hereinafter described and claimed, for converting low grade sugars into first sugars of high test, 96 polariscope test or higher, and without loss of the crystallizable sugar on low grades, this with a view of rendering it expedientto produce high test sugar only in a sugar house instead of the usual two kinds.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are-read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which: The figure is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of one apparatus which may be employed to advantage in the practice of our process.

Referring by letter to the-said drawing: A is so much of a vacuum pan as is neces- -sary to illustrate our invention; it being definitely understood that the said vacuum;

pan may be of the conventional construction or of any other construction compatible witn our invention, without involving departure from the scope of the same as claimed.

B is a suitably supported receptacle, and :C is a suitable pump having its induction orifice connected through a valved pipe D with the bottom of the receptacle B, and its eduction. orifice connected through a valved 4o pi e E with the vacuum pan A.

ilournaled in suitable hearing: at the top of the receptacle B is 'a horizontal shaft F carrying fast and loose pulleys a Z) and a worm gear 0, and journaled in suitable bearings at the bottom and top of the receptacle is a vertical shaft G on which is fixed a gear wheel H, intermeshed' with the worm gear 0, whereby it will be apparent that on rotation of the shaft F, the shaft G will be rotat-ed about its axis. At intervals of its height, the shaft G is provided with radially extending blades 1, fixed to turn with t-.-0

shaft. The alternate blades I are disposed at right angles to each other, and between each air of blades is arranged a fixed crossbar- These cross-bars J are alternately arranged at right angles to each other, and each is preferably made up of sections connected at their outer ends to the vertical wall of the receptacle B and at their inner ends to collar sections which are loosely secured on the shaft G.

By virtue of the described arrangement of the blades 1, relative to the bars J, it will be understood that when the receptacle B is charged with sugar and syrup as presently described and the shaft G is in motion, the moving blades I in cooperation with the fixed bars J will expeditiously and thoroughly work the sugar and syrup together in a homogeneous mass.

In carrying out our novel process we charge the receptacle B with, say forty bags, of dry, low grade sugar of about 86 polariscope test. \Ve then add to the sugar charge a little sugar syrup or solution of sugar containing about 45% of water, such, for instance, as the ordinary syrup of sugar houses--27. 0., the liquid coming from the concentration of juice; the quantity of said syrup ranging between to 10% on the weight of the said forty bags of dry, lowgrade sugar. After the receptacle B is supplied with the dry sugar and syrup, the shaft G is set in motion to thoroughly mix the said ingredients, and then the pump C is started .and the mixture is pumped from the rec-eptacle B to the vacuum pan A. lVith this done, the vacuum pain will be about half full and grained with the ordinary syrup. If it be now assumed that at the time of supplyin the mass of siwar and s ru) to the a r. l

vacuum pan as stated the pun contained a mass grained in the pan from the syrup, it will be manifest that we mix in the pan two masses both of which are grained. At this point new additions of the syrup are made to the vacuum pan, when the small crystals of both of the masses therein will commence to grow and will continue growing in size or volume until the capacity of the vacuum pan is reached. e thcri drop out the contents of the vacuum pan and the said contents or mass is centrifugatcd with the result that'onc class of sugar is obtained and that of high test.

We employ high-density syrup only in the process because such syrup does not dissolve the grain and serves as a medium to introduce the prepared mass into the .pan. We

also employ such syrup for the reason that.

it would be difficult to introduce dry sugar would ncv remain in lumps.

no gathered from the foregoing; cry 100 lbs. of su 86 polariscopc tic-st, We recuperate of Llic operation no Weight flcscrrbwl be supplied to thc vacuum pan, iIliYOilHCl in the vacuum pan no 0 ho pan inc strike wiiii Cry llJ iug he contents i syrup, ancl when the grain oiuccl the Jan the contents are conccniraiccl iiclc anal the mass prepared as stclecl is at tlii nomcni introduce into iourths or inc pm i cl s finished with orclinary syrup, contents of C19 pan are fir i thc pan about one-third of s already mass 1 ovcr the sum contents, anu he sirilqc 1s fin- 1 graiucch i-lic orepu *ccl hc vacuum pan nccd islied with syrup.

"ocluciion oi the pro-- no?v stop during the in pared mass.

The syrup use ess shoulcl not and with this prcciatczi that a niuticr 0i? ouncl undcrstancling it ivil our proccss is (lesi produces l'il il sanis have been cooked to a point of supcr saturation, coolcrl and purged in ccntrifugals or other suitable means It will be noted from the foregoing that the pump does not take the mass from the receptacle B by suction the other hand the mass gruvitutcs to the cylinclcr of the pump, which is constructed with a vicw of adapting it to pump semisolid masses, ana the pump has but lo push or force the mass, received in. its cylinder to lhc vacuum pan A.

'Wc prefer i0 employ. -tho rcccplaclc cicscribccl and the appurtenances lhcrcoi for mixing the sugar and syrup, but we do not clcsiro to bc llIlLlQlSllOOii as confining ourselvcs to the same, inasmuch as any approved 1 apg aratus may he sinployccl for saiii purpose, nor clo We desire to be understood as confining ourselves to the puns for trans ii crring the mass from. the receptacle to line vacuum pan, since such transfer may be accomplished in any suitable manner Without involving departure from the scope of our invent on as clcfincc in the following claims. I H (lcscribed our invention What claim and dcsirc to secure by Letters-Faisal), is:

1. The process described or" converting lowgraclc sugars into sugars of high test, which consists in iniroclucing into a vacuum pan a mixture of dry low-grade sugar and solution of sugar containing approxiinaicly 45% of Water, and aclcling a similar solution of sugar containing approximately 45% of waicr to the pan, whereby the sugar of the last naincil solution is precipitated on the crystals of tho low-grade sugar, and the grain of sumz" 1S conserves ovcr a mass of grained con-tents therein, a mixture of dry low-graclc sugar and solution of sugar containing approximately i592;-

rvatcr, and adding a similar solution of sugar containing approximately 45% of Watcr to the pan whereby the sugar of the last u named solution is precipitated on the crystals of the low-grade sugar, and tho grain of sugar is conserved.

8. The process described of converting lowgraclc sugars into sugars of high test, which consists in introducing into a vacuum pan, over a mass of grained and conccntratccl contents therein. a mixture of dry low-grade sugar and solution of sugar containing approximately el% of water, and adding similar solution of sugar containing approximately of water to the pan, whereby the sugar of inc last named solution is procipiiatcrl on the crystals of the low-grade sugar, and the grain of sugar is conserved.

in tcsiiinony whereof we have hereunto sci, our hands in presence of two subscribing Wli'UQSSQS.

Mi-KRTIN AL'IQLAGUEBEE JQAQUIN ZUBKLLAGA. i Vi l'ncsscs Vic'rou Noiusnnn, A, Rooms. 

